A woman has urged kind-hearted strangers not to pull over if they see a baby – or evidence of one – ‘abandoned on the side of the road’.
In the warning the concerned mum posted a picture of a stroller, parked just off a road, next to some bushes.
‘If you see a stroller, car seat, or any type of baby situation alone in the middle of nowhere please, I repeat don’t get out. Be safe,’ the mum wrote.
And people were quick to agree.
‘Yes, people lie in wait – at best they rob you, at worst they bash you too,’ said one.
‘Families are struggling, some of them will use kids as bait.’
A woman has warned people not to stop if they see abandoned strollers by the roadside
The ‘abandoned baby’ is a tactic used by thieves who wait to ambush kind strangers who might stop to check a stroller.
This isn’t the first time warnings like this have been issued.
But the latest post has gone viral with people from all over the world commenting on the cruel ‘bait’.
And people were pleased to have seen it.
‘OMG – I would be out of the car so fast to check, thanks for the warning,’ one mum said.
‘This is so cruel because they are targeting the best of us,’ said another.
‘I would just call the police to have a look at it. It sounds harsh but it isn’t worth the trouble.’
Others laughed at the post.
‘This stroller was probably dumped by my husband who after two years still can’t workout how to fold it for the boot,’ one mum said.
‘A mum had to dump it cos her toddler wanted to walk but didn’t want her to push the groceries in the empty pram. She will back to get it later.’
Similar scams include the ‘dead man’ and the screaming woman.
‘I pulled over to help a man passed out on the side of the road once, the police officer yelled at me and said it is often a scam and as a single woman I should be more careful,’ one Australian woman said.
She says it is best to call police – as it could be a trap
‘I have heard of that! people pretend to be hurt and then steal your car,’ said another.
Others said women do it too.
‘I have heard of women screaming for help only to do the same ting. Just call the cops and move on,’ one woman from the US added.
The warning post has been shared 23,000 times and attracted thousands of comments.
